Lee Tae-seong, a Korean Canadian from Edmonton, Alberta, holds a 15 million Canadian dollar cheque during a press conference held on Jan. 31. (Interprovincial Lottery Corporation)
Lee Tae-seong, a Korean Canadian from Edmonton, Alberta, holds a 15 million Canadian dollar cheque during a press conference held on Jan. 31. (Interprovincial Lottery Corporation)

A Korean Canadian man became a multimillionaire after a massive lottery win, news reports said Wednesday.

The winner, Lee Tae-seong from Edmonton, Alberta, matched all seven lucky numbers of 5, 6, 16, 26, 29, 37 and 44 to claim the jackpot in the Lotto Max draw held on Oct. 7, worth 15 million Canadian dollars ($10.9 million). His win was made public through a press conference held on Jan. 31.

“I’ve always dreamed of this day. But when I first found out, I couldn’t quite believe it and had to scan again!” Lee said in an interview with Lotto Max, one of Canada’s national lottery games run by the Interprovincial Lottery Corp.

Among his plans for the prize money are paying off his housing loan, purchasing a new vehicle and traveling to Korea to see his mother.

“I haven’t been able to see my mother in Korea for several years. I’ll finally be able to go see my mom,” he added.

He also plans to travel with his family and support various charitable activities for his local community and people in need.

Lotto Max jackpots start at 10 million Canadian dollars and can rise to a maximum of 70 million Canadian dollars. If no one wins the top prize, the jackpot rolls over to the next draw.

Lee’s win is among the largest lottery prizes claimed by a Korean expatriate in recent years.


cjh@heraldcorp.com